Pub due to close can stay open for VE Day party

The Hare and Hounds was scheduled to cease trading on 4 May

A pub destined for closure has been given a week's reprieve so locals can celebrate VE Day.

The Hare and Hounds in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, was scheduled to cease trading on 4 May due to rising costs.

But owners, Thwaites Brewery, has said the deadline will be put back by a week.

Liam Loughlin, from the Friends of the Hare and Hounds group, said: "We're hoping we can save it. It's the heart of our community."

'Looking at fundraising'

Mr Loughlin said a petition had raised over 1,200 signatures, but the property has been listed for sale for £495,000.

"It's a lot of money but we're looking at fundraising and are also in contact with a few breweries who are interested in keeping it open as a pub," he said.

A spokesman from Thwaites said: "After a significant period working with a very good local operator, we've made the decision to close the Hare and Hounds pub in Clayton-le-Moors given the costs associated with running the venue."

He said there were no plans to restrict how the property could be used when it was sold, adding that the company remained committed to running other pubs in the area.